Previously, a web of material was first cut by being passed between a pair of rotary cutting dies having blades which severed or cut portions of the web and then some of the cut portions were removed by passing the cut web between a separate pair of stripping cylinders or rolls at least one of which had a plane cylindrical surface. The cut material to be removed was transferred onto the cylindrical surface, and after the cylinder rotated sufficiently to carry the piece away from the web, it was removed from the cylinder by a stripper plate having a leading sharp edge bearing on the plane cylindrical surface.
This approach has also been utilized directly on a pair of rotary cutting dies where one of the dies had a plane cylindrical surface. To remove cut material the sharp edge directly bore on the cutting die with the plane cylindrical surface. However, if both the cutting dies had severing blades thereon, it would be necessary to utilize a separate pair of stripping cylinders or rolls.